Adopting the case study method in business research

Case study research has increasingly attracted attention in business studies conducted over the last two decades. Despite this growing interest, the utilization of case studies in research remains controversial, from certain points of view. The aim of this contribution is to address the critical methodological and practical issues such as the design and the process to be followed, which are fundamental in conferring reliability and validity to this method, the scientific status of case study research, the possibility of generalizing its results, the potential biases and opportunities associated with its adoption, the different modes of interventions, etc. The aim is to show that this type of research is not simply a ‘second-best’ choice, compared to quantitative research. The premise is not that it is superior, but that it is different, and therefore, what will be highlighted are the characteristics, the peculiar features, the different aims that it can serve and the means by which it can be developed.